Suzanne (Susie) Childress Sharp won more than 4 singles, doubles, and mixed doubles tournament titles during her career, but more than all the victories, Susie Sharp was perhaps best recognized for her sportsmanship and kindness to everyone.
Mary Wieman, in a not to Susie following a tournament victory at Twin Hills Country Club, wrote: “I can’t resist this opportunity to thank you for the role model you’ve ben to all of us, you and old, who play tennis. The quality of your sportsmanship (a lovely bled of steel and silk) is always visible. If you never played again, you’d still always be No. 1 Lady of Tennis.”
In a story by Jim Henry in the Joplin Globe dated July 17, 1986, the writer points out that the entry form for the first Susie Sharp Memorial Tennis Classic summed up Susie Sharp this way: “Players in the surrounding area always considered it a privilege to play with Susie as she not only was a champion but she was considerate and kind to players of all abilities.”
Susie Sharp died of cancer in March of 1986 but she left behind a record in women’s tennis that may never be equaled.
She won 12 woman’s singles titles, including six club championships at Twin Hills. Nine of her 19 women’s doubles titles came during tournaments at Twin Hills. Her doubles partner in many of those matches was Betsy Taylor of Carthage.
Taylor recalls that she played Susie in the semifinal of the Joplin Open in the mid-70’s.
“She was the favorite, and I was a junior in high school,” Taylor said in Henry’s story in the Joplin newspaper. “We had a real close three-set match, one of the toughest I’ve ever played,” Taylor said. “She called me the following weekend to play in a doubles tournament in Springfield, and we were a doubles team from then on.”
Susie won 13 mixed double titles over a period of some 15 years, six of them coming in championship events at Twin Hills.
A member of the United States Tennis Association, Susie attended the Tony Roche and John Gardner tennis camps. She coached the Memorial High School team in 1974 and was a member of the Springfield Tennis Association from 1971-1979.
Susie attended Sullins College in Bristol, VA., and the University of Arizona in Tucson. She was active in business and civic affairs. She served as president of the Childress Royalty Company and was a member of the Board of Directors of the united Missouri Bank of Joplin. She also was a member of the board of director of the Missouri Southern foundation and was special contacts chairman of the American Cancer Society of Jasper County for 1985 and 1986.
Susie was married to Raymond D. Sharp in 1951 and they had five children: sons Paris and Newton and daughters, Mary, Anne, and Sarah.
